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March 5, 2014

Scientific instruments have always been devices of power:

those who have the best ones can find out the most.

Galileo knew this — he kept up a cordial correspondence with his fellow astronomer Johannes Kepler in Prague, but when Kepler requested the loan of a telescope, the Italian found excuses. Galileo saw that, with one of these devices, Kepler would become a more serious rival. Instruments, he understood, confer authority. Science / a cult of hi-tech instruments

Posted by gerardvanderleun at March 5, 2014 9:48 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

What G-Man should have said was "I built one, if I can do it you can do it" Kepler might have built a better telescope and be even more famous.

Posted by: Glenn at March 6, 2014 7:15 AM

Kepler should have said, " You didn't build that, the Government did."

Posted by: Peccable at March 6, 2014 7:29 AM

I'm pretty sure that if Kepler were the one who was building telescopes the first thing Galileo would have done would be to build his own.

Posted by: james wilson at March 6, 2014 10:13 AM

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